Okay so they made us who need inhalers switch to those new HFA Albuterol inhalers and frankly, they suck. The medicine doesn't come out well enough and it doesn't help me when I'm having an attack. Do you really think my little inhaler was destroying the ozone layer? Is the ozone layer more important than my ability to breathe? I personally think it's a bunch of bull. What do you think? I use an Advair diskus to control my asthma already. But every once in a while I'll get a flare up (from walking up the tons of stairs at school or from cleaning and dusting) and this new inhaler doesn't help me very easily and it takes a long time for me to get over it. Yes, many people can't tolerate either the ethanol (in all rescue inhalers except Ventolin) or the HFA itself.
We are mounting a political campaign to change this CFC inhaler ban which WAS done SOLELY to "save the ozone layer" per the Montreal Protocol.
Methyl bromide was also restricted by the MP to save the ozone layer- but the Agriculture lobby stopped that. We'll learn from Big Ag how to save CFC inhalers: POLITICAL ACTION.
Google our petition to save CFC inhalers at "save CFC" if this link doesn't get published.
There's contact info to get Warrick CFC on the right side of the petition, too.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/saveC...
By the way- the respiratory therapist is right about the asthma guidelines saying that anyone who uses their quick-relief inhalers more than twice a week needs better control. But I didn't see any indication that this poster was using their inhaler more than that- and besides- there's a difference between a "guideline" and an inviolable rule.
The MAIN point is that we are embarking on a massive experiment involving 30 million pulmonary patients with these new HFA inhalers- and it is already clear that some patients CAN'T HANDLE HFA and/or ethanol. This shows up in the small clinical trial data in the package inserts under Adverse Events (which only involves MILD asthmatics over very short periods, by the way)- and NO clinical trials on these rescue inhalers were EVER done on COPD patients- who are really suffering with HFA Albuterol and HFA Atrovent also. We've had complaints about HFA Pulmicort- and many complaints from Primatene Mist OTC patients who LOVE their PM (FORGET the horror story PROPAGANDA- it has an EXCELLENT 40+ year OTC safety track record. I hate Primatene Mist personally, but people should be allowed to use what THEY say relaxes THEIR lungs the best, and we'll fight for their right to use OTC PM with CFC- which MANY MENTALLY COMPETENT ADULTS prefer to albuterol as a quick-relief inhaler.)
Our petition comments include many serious complaints. You'll get an indication of how bad HFA is for many people- and CFC is still widely available. When it's gone no later than 1/1/09- we expect a HUGE response which we will galvanize.
Bottom line- we WILL preserve CFC inhalers if enough people want to save them and join our campaign. I don't know if it's the HFA in the canister, but I believe the ethanol that is making me sick. Now I have to choose between breathing well, or having a stomach ache for an hour or so. I think the cars on the road are causing MUCH more damage to the enviornment than the CFC canisters. Report It
I think it's crap too, there are so many other things they could go after and they go after a much needed widely used asthma med? I understand your pain however you can look at it as an opportunity to get off your inhaler.
Asthma management guidelines in the US for several years now have stated if you have to use your inhaler more then 2 times per week, your asthma is NOT in control and you need to re-evaluate your asthma therapy plan.
If you are using an inhaler that much you need to first learn what is causing your asthma flair ups. Those are your asthma triggers. The best non medication treatment for asthma is learning your triggers and avoiding them.
If you are unable to learn your triggers or you can not avoid them, you should be on a preventive asthma medication. Preventive meds are taken every day to prevent asthma attacks. There are many out there to choose from. Some who have asthma worse then others are on several controllers. The goal is to find the least amount of asthma medications that will let you live symptom free.
Here are some links for you to research.
http://www.singulair.com/montelukast_sod...
http://www.asmanex.com/asmanex/applicati...
http://www.noattacks.org/ I was allergic to the propellant in the old one. The HSA is much better so I don't think the ozone layer was the reason they switched.
None of those little canisters work for me so inhaler does not work, I have to use a nebuilzer.
If you are not getting relief, call your doctor for his/her suggestions. | 